The benefit of the filing date of DE Patent Application 10006890.1 filed Feb. 16, 2000 is claimed.
The invention relates to a modularly constructed plug connector.
The problem (object) of the invention is to create a modularly constructed plug connector which is as simple and reliable to handle as possible.
The plug connector of the present invention has at least one plug module which can be plugged into a housing module and which can be latched in the housing module, wherein the plug module and the housing module are in each case formed for receiving contact elements, and wherein the plug module has a locking arrangement at least at one outer side by means of which contact elements which are arranged in the plug module and/or in the housing module can be locked.
In accordance with the invention no separate constructional element is required for locking the contact elements since the locking takes place through the plug module itself. Through this a space saving and nevertheless reliable locking of the contact elements is achieved.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention the locking arrangement is arranged in such a manner that contact elements of the housing module which are not completely located in a desired position can be pushed into the desired position through the plugging in of the plug module. Through this a particularly simple handling is achieved without impairing the reliability of the plug connector since the correct seating of the contact elements in the housing module is automatically provided for during the plugging in of the plug module.
In a further preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention at least one section of the locking arrangement is arranged at least at one pivotal flap of the plug module. The movability of the flap can be used in an advantageous manner for an additional locking function for contact elements of the plug module.
In this it is preferred when at least one section for contact elements of the housing module and at least one section for contact elements of the plug module are formed at the flap, with the two sections projecting in opposite directions from the flap. Thus for example an outwardly projecting section can be used for the locking of contact elements which are arranged in the housing module, whereas contact elements which can be introduced into the plug module when the flap is pivoted upwards can be locked by a section which protrudes into the plug module when the flap is pivoted downwards.
In accordance with a further preferred embodiment of the invention the housing module is provided with coding sections, past which at least a part of the locking arrangement of a fitting plug module can be moved during the plugging in and which prevent the plugging in of a wrong plug module. In this the locking arrangement thus serves at the same time as a coding for the plug module, through which unintentional combinations of plug modules and housing modules are reliably prevented in a simple way.
The invention also relates to a plugging system consisting of housing modules and plug modules which can be plugged together pair-wise to form a plug connector in accordance with the invention, with each housing module being provided with coding sections, past which at least a part of the locking arrangement of a fitting plug module can be moved during the plugging in and which prevent the plugging in of a wrong plug module.
Preferred embodiments of the invention are also set forth in the subordinate claims, the description and the drawings.